Hypnotized

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Being in a trance-like state induced by suggestion ; deeply captivated or engrossed by something
2. Experiencing an altered state where the mind is highly receptive to direction ; intensely focused or spellbound by an object or event
3. Having the mind controlled or influenced through hypnosis techniques ; completely absorbed or entranced by an external stimulus

Etymology: "Hypnotized" is the past tense and past participle of "hypnotize," so its history runs through the verb. That verb is built from "hypnotic," which itself comes from the Greek "hypnos," meaning sleep, with the suffix "-ize" added to turn the adjective into an action: to put someone into the state that "hypnotic" describes. The sleep-related root explains the word's core idea, since the earliest sense of the family centers on inducing a sleep-like condition. The verb's meaning has widened over time. Where "hypnotize" once suggested a specific induced trance, it now also describes being so absorbed in something outside oneself that ordinary awareness seems to fade. That shift from a deliberate technique to a passive, captivated state is what makes the word's modern use so flexible.

Synonyms: mesmerized, entranced, spellbound, captivated, fascinated

Antonyms: awake, alert, unaware, disenchanted, disinterested